Thermoelectric fabric and process for the manufacture of same



Sept. 15, 1925.

A. NEGROMANTI THERMOELECTRIC FABRIC AND PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OFSAME Filed April 24, 1932 grown ti Q f Fll llullL Patented Sept. 15,1925.

UNITED sTATEs (PA TENT OFFICE.

ANTONIO NEGROMANTI, OF MILAN, ITALY.

THERMOELECTIRIG FABRIC AND PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SAME.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that ANTONIO NEGROMANTI,

a citizen of the Kingdom of Italy, residing other machine.

'wires was not apparent.

The threading of the conducting wires into the body of the fabric wasdone loosely simultaneously with the weaving of the fabric proper and.during the time when the said fabric was subjected to elastic tension inthe lateral direction.

On this tension being relaxed, the composite fabric contracted and thewire retained a sufficient degree of freedom in the tube wherein it waslodged. By that means it was possible to reduce indefinitely thediameter of the wire, because all strains of whatever nature were bornesolely by the fabric proper which constituted a real pr0 tecting casingfor the conducting wire. In that. construction the transmission of theheat of the said wire to surrounding bodies was the more copious in viewof the fact that the wire was inserted without insulation into the tubesof the fabric. In that way it was possible to produce electro-thermicfabrics having :1- hi gh degree of elasticity and suppleness, since,owing to the manner of manufacture the presence of the conductingGarments made from such fabrics are excellent substitutes for ordinarygarments and are adapted to Application filed April 24, 1922. Serial No.556,279.

directly in the loom or any other machine ready-made thermo-electricgarments of any desired shapes, and also a fabric having a multi-tubularstructure and ready for mak mg up into thermo-electric garments.

' This direct manufacture ofv a multi-tubular thermo-electric fabric inthe loom or any other machine, is an important and essential part of thepresent invention.

The present invention also comprises a process for threading by hand orany other suitable means, a very fine bare conducting wire, into apreviously made multi-tubular fabric and previously cut to H the desiredshape, the wire after threading having a certain amount of play.

In this case, however, the threading-in is effected in such a manner asto'reproduce the same effects as those produced by the transverseelastic tension to which the fabric is subjected when the threading ofthe conducting wires into the tubes of the said fabric is effected inthe machine at the same permanently. This arrangement is abso-.

lutely necessary in order that strains exerted in any way whatever uponthe fabric proper shall not effect the actual conducting wire. This is acharacteristic feature of the above described mechanical process.

Vith the object of imparting to the composite fabric th highest degreeof elasticity, the fabric proper may be made with meshes, that isknitted. In such a. case the conducting wire is wound on an elasticcore. Elecfro-thermal garments of this nature will conform necessarilyin a. greater degree to the shape of the body of the wearers. Themulti-tubular meshed fabric proper is formed substantially by two-pliessimultaneously knit, which are at intervals intermeshed or in any wayunited to each' other.

The said characteristic feature of the above described mechanicalprocess may also be reproduced in many other ways. For instance: theconducting wire may be directly interknit in the meshes of a knitfabric, which is done by first knitting a certain number of rows ofordinary mesh-work, and then following this by a series of meshes onlyor on both sides with meshed fabric for the purpose of concealing andcovering the eonductmg wire. Such covermg may be produced at the tlme ofmaking the electro-thermal fabric in such a manner as to producepreferably an improved composite inulti-tubular fabric and that in orderto render eventual reparation easier.

For the purpose of reproducing the characteristic features of the abovementioned mechanical process, we may also mechanically arrange on anyordinary fabric the conducting wire, according to a predetermined shape,by means of a sewing-machine or like, so as to make a predeterminedgreater length of conducting wire, correspond to a determined surface offabric.

The stitches may be directly made of conducting wire. To the said fabrica ribbon will be stitched at intervals, thus forming a multi-tubularstructure for the purpose of insulating the successive rows ofstitching.

These improved fabrics may have one side composed of a textile fibrewhich is a good heat-conductor, such as cotton, whereas the other sidemay be of a textile fibre which is a bad heat-conductor, such as wool.The improved fabrics imay further be provided with a cellular structurecovering one or both sides, for the purpose of facilitating thetransmission of heat to the body of the wearer.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying' drawings. whichdisclose the manner of forming the fabric or garment by a loom.

In this drawing Figure 1 is a plan-view partly in section of a padconstructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a garment blank.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view illustrating the tubes in the fabricand the electric current conducting wire arranged in the tubes.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the'wire wound on a textile core.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a fragment of one of the tubes showingthe un dulatory form which the conducting wire assumes in the tubethrough which it passes.

Referring first to Fi 3 it may be seen I that the fabric is forme ofmulti-plies, that is, certain of the weft threads 1 cooperate with thewar threads 3 to form an upper ply while ot 1er weft threads 2 cooperatewith warp threads 4 to form thelower ply.

These plies are interconnected at their edges during weaving as shown at5. As the weaving proceeds the warp threads 3 and 4 and the weft threadsfor a certain number of courses will form single ply material, thenduring a number of subsequent courses form a double ply and so on, inthe end producing a fabric or garment blank having alternate doubleplies or tubes 6. These tubes are in communication with one anotherthroughout the fabric or garment blank, so that the conducting wire 7wound on a fabric core 8 may be threaded through the continuouspassageway formed by the tubes during the manufacture of the cloth orsubsequent to said manufacture. As shown in Figure 5, the conductingwire 7 and its core 8 assumes an undulatory form in the tubularpassageway, so that the fabric may be stretched in various directionswithout breaking the current conducting wire.

Fig. 1 discloses the application of this method to a heating pad and inthis view 9 designates the base of the fabric and 10 designates the endsof the tubes interwoven in the base. 11 indicates terminal posts. Theblank shown in Figure 2 is particularly adapted for forming trousers orthe like and in this view 12 indicates a post about which the wire maybe passed in extending through the garment blank.

1 Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of mysaid invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declarethat what I claim is:

1. A process of making an electrically heated structure consisting inweaving a fabric partly one-ply and partly two-ply, separatin the -pliesof the two-ply during the weaving in order to form tubes alternatelycommunicating at their ends, and inserting a thermic-conducting wirethrough said tubes.

2. A process of making an electrically heated garment including weavinga textile fabric partly one-ply and partly two-ply, separating the pliesof the two-ply during the weaving in order to form a series ofcommunicating tubes. and inserting an undulated thermic-eonducting wirethrough said tubes while said tubes are in the process of formation.

3. An electrically heated garment including a woven textile fabricpartly one-ply and partly two-ply, the plies of the twoply beingseparated to form a series of communicating tubes, and an undulatedthermic conducting wire extending through said tubes.

In testimony whereof I affix signature.

ANTONIQ NEGROMANTI.

